Brief Article
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World J Gastroenterol. Jan 7, 2011; 17(1): 89-97
Published online Jan 7, 2011. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v17.i1.89
Impact of diet on long-term decline in gastric cancer incidence in Poland
Mirosław Jarosz, Włodzimierz Sekuła, Ewa Rychlik, Katarzyna Figurska
Mirosław Jarosz, Ewa Rychlik, Department of Dietetics and Nutrition in Hospitals with Clinic of Metabolic Diseases and Gastroenterology, National Food and Nutrition Institute, 02-903 Warsaw, Poland
Włodzimierz Sekuła, Katarzyna Figurska, Independent Laboratory of the Economics of Food and Nutrition, National Food and Nutrition Institute, 02-903 Warsaw, Poland
Author contributions: Jarosz M designed the research; Sekuła W and Figurska K performed the research; Sekuła W, Rychlik E and Figurska K analyzed the data; Jarosz M, Sekuła W and Rychlik E wrote the paper.
Supported by Statutory action of the National Food and Nutrition Institute
Correspondence to: Mirosław Jarosz, Professor, Department of Dietetics and Nutrition in Hospitals with Clinic of Metabolic Diseases and Gastroenterology, National Food and Nutrition Institute, Powsińska St. 61/63, 02-903 Warsaw, Poland. jarosz@izz.waw.pl
Telephone: +48-22-5509677 Fax: +48-22-8421103
Received: July 6, 2010
Revised: September 7, 2010
Accepted: September 14, 2010
Published online: January 7, 2011
Abstract

AIM: To examine the relationship between the trends in food consumption and gastric cancer morbidity in Poland.

METHODS: The study was based on gastric cancer incidence rates and consumption of vegetables, fruit, vitamin C and salt in Poland between 1960 and 2006. Food consumption data were derived from the national food balance sheets or household budget surveys. Spearman correlation coefficients were used to estimate the relationship between the variables.

RESULTS: A negative correlation was found between vegetables (-0.70 both for men and women; P < 0.0001), fruit (-0.65 and -0.66; P < 0.0001) and vitamin C (-0.75 and -0.74; P < 0.0001) consumption and stomach cancer incidence rates. The same applied to the availability of refrigerators in the household (-0.77 and -0.80; P < 0.0001). A decline in these rates could also be linked to reduction in salt intake.

CONCLUSION: The decline of gastric cancer incidence probably resulted from increased consumption of vegetables, fruit and vitamin C and a decrease in salt consumption.

Keywords: Vegetables, Fruit, Vitamin C, Salt, Gastric cancer